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Written by:

Christine R. Hofmeister

Whole30 Certified Coach

www.christinescleaneats.com

Top 10 Places to

Eat in Kansas City

While on the Whole30

“Take the guess work

out of dining out

while on the

Whole30”

What’s Inside:

I think we can all agree that one of the toughest parts of Whole30 is

navigating going out to eat while on a round of the program. With sneaky

sugars and ingredients hiding around every corner, it can feel overwhelming

to order at a restaurant while still staying Whole30 compliant. How many

times have you had a server roll their eyes at you when you ask, “What kind

of marinade/seasoning do you use on the chicken?” So, to save you the

trouble of having to go through those awkward conversations with the

server/kitchen manager, I have done it for you! Every menu item on this

guide has been verified, by myself, to contain 100% Whole30 compliant

ingredients. So, the next time you want to go out to eat while on your

Whole30, simply bring along this handy guide for a foolproof way to order

with ease. I hope you enjoy, and happy dining!

Disclaimer: This guide is current as of 10/5/18. The restaurants and menu items mentioned are subject to change at any time. Be sure to verify with

your server if you have reason to believe that the ingredients/preparation for a dish have changed since the time this guide was produced.

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The Russell 3141 Main St.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 492-7557

What to Know: The Russell is a great little lunch spot in midtown KC. With a focus on fresh,

locally sourced ingredients, it’s no surprise that their menu items can be easily

tweaked to become Whole30 compliant. All of the staff is extremely friendly and

accommodating with any and all ingredient questions you may have. I spoke to the

owner himself, and he said they are always willing to adjust the menu to fit your

dietary needs. Bonus: the food is out of this world delicious!

What to Order:

Sumac Tenderloin

- Hold the goat cheese

- Hold the chimichurri dressing (ask

for olive oil & vinegar instead)

Other Options: All of their proteins (i.e., beef, chicken,

shrimp, and salmon) are prepared using

Whole30 compliant ingredients. This means

that you can order quite a few of their menu

items with the appropriate tweaks. For

example, you could order their Roasted Root

Salad (hold the cheese and dressing) and add

any of the above-mentioned proteins. The

opportunities here are endless! Just be sure

to omit the obvious things (tortillas, cheese,

etc.) and you should be good!

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Brown & Loe 429 Walnut St.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 472-0622

What to Know: Brown & Loe is an adorable restaurant nestled right in the heart of the River Market

District. It is a perfect date night spot. Not too casual or too fancy, it’s just right!

Many of their menu items can easily be tweaked to be Whole30 compliant. The

staff is also very friendly and more than happy to answer any ingredient questions.

And of course, the most important part, their food is fantastic!

What to Order:

Spaghetti Squash

- Hold the Boursin cheese

- Add steak

Other Options: For appetizers, I recommend the Oysters on

the Half Shell. Rather than topping them

with the non-compliant sauces they typically

come with, try squeezing some fresh lemon

juice on them! For a fresh and fruity salad,

go for the Watermelon salad. Just be sure to

order without the feta cheese and blood

orange vinaigrette (get olive oil & vinegar

instead). For main dishes, give the Grilled

Salmon a try. Simply ask to have it without

the couscous or Greek yogurt.

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Blue Bird Bistro 1700 Summit St.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 221-7559

What to Know: Blue Bird Bistro is a super cute little restaurant in the Westside North

neighborhood. Exposed brick and vintage tile floors give the space an effortlessly

charming vibe. The wait staff was more than willing to answer my ingredient

questions and even apologized when they found out from the chef that certain items

contained ingredients I was avoiding. Definitely a great little spot to grab a bite!

What to Order:

Loose Burger

- Hold the Havarti cheese

- Hold the bun

- Order with a side of house

potatoes or sautéed vegetables

Other Options: From their Lunch Entrees, you could get the

Salmon. Just ask for it without the lemon

aioli or seasoned rice. You could also get

the Grass Fed Burger or Bison Burger. In

both instances, hold the bun and only add

compliant toppings (i.e., lettuce, tomato,

onion, sautéed mushrooms). For breakfast,

build your own omelet is a great option.

Also, the veggie and potato bowls are

compliant if you omit any cheese, gravy, or

biscuits.

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The Corner Restaurant 4059 Broadway Blvd.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 931-4401

What to Know: The Corner Restaurant is an infamous brunch spot in Westport. Just because you’re

on a round of Whole30, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun! This place is

always bustling and full of people. Be aware that their wait staff is very busy and

may not want to answer a bunch of ingredient questions. It might be best to stick to

ordering what I’ve outlined here.

What to Order:

The Hashes (with Chorizo)

- Hold the caramelized onions (you can ask for raw onions)

- Hold the hollandaise sauce

- Tell them to cook the contents of

the hash without oil (this is because

they use vegetable oil)

Other Options: The options here are limited, but there’s at

least a few things you can get and stay

compliant. Scramble-Fuls allow you to pick

your own ingredients, which is helpful.

Please note that the only compliant protein

they offer is the Chorizo. In terms of

veggies, you can pick any except the

caramelized onions. Equipped with this

knowledge, you can create a few different

variations of the scramble. Just be sure to

tell them not to cook any of this with oil.

Also, you will have to go without the

potatoes on the side as they are deep fried.

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Café Gratitude 333 Southwest Blvd.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 474-5683

What to Know: Café Gratitude is a magical little restaurant located in the Crossroads Art District.

Their menu is 100% organic and plant-based. You may notice that their menu

items have unique names like “Luminous” or “Adventurous.” This is intentional,

and when your food is delivered to your table your server will hand it to you and

say, “You are ___.” I told you it was magical! Plus, they are completely transparent

when it comes to sharing ingredients (more on that later).

What to Order:

Luminous Salad

- Hold the quinoa

- Hold the flax cracker (while this is

comprised of compliant ingredients it would

fall into the realm of SWYPO)

- Ask for olive oil & vinegar as

your dressing

Other Options: Lots of options here! Sensational (a

spaghetti squash dish) is also quite delicious

and doesn’t require any modifications to be

made Whole30 compliant. Go with this if

you’re looking for something other than a

salad. Ask for the ingredients binder (they

usually keep it up at the front), to check the

contents of any and all of their dishes. This

takes all of the guess work out of

deciphering if something is compliant or

not. Just be careful to avoid SWYPO!

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t.Loft 200 W. 47th St.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 541-4849

What to Know: t.Loft has multiple locations throughout Kansas City, which is super convenient.

Their slogan is “Clean Eats” and I’d have to say they definitely live up to it! They

have a few different menu options that are Whole30 compliant and have always

been more than willing to bust out their ingredient binder for me upon request. The

atmosphere is almost like that of a coffee shop. Definitely a great place to go to if

you’re trying to grab a quick breakfast or lunch.

What to Order:

Sunrise Scramble Bowl

- Hold the feta cheese

Other Options: There are two other scramble bowls that

contain all Whole30 compliant ingredients.

No omissions or tweaks needed! The

Buffalo and the Turkey Veggie Scramble

Bowls. You could also get the Cleanse

Salad if you’re looking for a lunch option.

Just hold the quinoa and ask for olive oil &

vinegar as the dressing. If you’re curious

about any other menu items but aren’t sure if

the ingredients are compliant, don’t be

afraid to ask for their ingredient binder!

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Bar K Dog Bar 501 Berkley

Kansas City, MO

(816) 474-2275

What to Know: Bar K is Kansas City’s newest dog park, but it is so much more than just your

average dog park! They have a full restaurant and bar so that you can enjoy all the

human amenities while your pup gets to run around and play. This will quickly

become your new favorite hangout if you’re a dog lover like me. While there are

limited Whole30 options here, the ones they do have are quite tasty! And the

kitchen staff was more than happy to humor all of my ingredient questions.

What to Order:

House Salad

- Hold the bleu cheese

- Hold the dressing (ask for olive oil &

vinegar instead) - Add ahi tuna

Other Options: This salad may be one of the only things on

the menu you can easily tweak to make it

Whole30 compliant. The other protein

option you have besides the ahi tuna is the

chicken. The steak is a no-go, as it is

marinated in soy sauce. If you’re feeling up

to it, and don’t mind asking the kitchen staff

a bunch of ingredient questions, feel free to

explore the rest of their menu and see if you

can tweak something to make it compliant.

If not, the House Salad with tuna or chicken

is a safe bet that tastes great!

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Garozzo’s Ristorante 526 Harrison St.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 221-2455

What to Know: Garozzo’s is a classic Italian restaurant. Think lots of red décor and hallways filled

with old family pictures. While Italian food may not be the first thing you think of

when you think of Whole30, you would be pleasantly surprised to find that there is

at least one menu item here that is in fact Whole30 compliant. As they tend to get

quite busy here, I suggest calling ahead if you have any additional ingredient

questions rather than waiting to ask your server while you are there.

What to Order:

Mike’s Diet Chicken

- No modifications required ☺

Other Options: As far as I could tell this is the only menu

item they currently offer that is Whole30

compliant. The fact that it is compliant

without any modifications is definitely nice.

As cringe-worthy as it may be to say you’re

ordering “diet chicken” when everyone else

at the table is already on their second piece

of garlic bread, I promise it is a delicious

dish. Made with fresh herbs and tomatoes,

and topped with shrimp, there’s nothing

lackluster about this diet chicken! It is

bursting with flavor and definitely hits the

spot when you’re in the mood for Italian.

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District Pour House 7122 Wornall Rd.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 333-0799

What to Know: District Pour House is a great brunch spot in the Waldo neighborhood. Plus, they

have dog friendly outdoor seating, so your furry friends can join you! They are

usually pretty busy, so it might be best to stick to the menu items I’ve outlined here

when ordering. If it’s slower, feel free to ask your server questions about

ingredients of other items you might be interested in. The staff have all been quite

friendly to me when I do.

What to Order:

Salmon Salad

- Hold the pickled onions

- Hold the oranges (unless they’re fresh.

I’ve gone before when they’ve used canned

oranges that I could taste had added sugar) - Hold the dressing (ask for olive oil &

vinegar instead)

Other Options: If you go during brunch there are a few

other options that you can get. The Roasted

Salmon Hash is quite delicious. Just be sure

to hold the hollandaise sauce. You could

also get the Steak & Eggs. Again, hold the

hollandaise. If you want to explore other

menu items that you could potentially tweak

to be compliant, I highly recommend doing

so during their slower times rather than

during peak brunch hour.

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Zoe’s Kitchen 100 Ward Pkwy.

Kansas City, MO

(816) 531-2044

What to Know: Drumroll please…Zoe’s Kitchen is the only eatery in Kansas City that has Whole30

Approved menu items. You may be thinking…wait a minute…you just told me all

these other places that I could order Whole30 compliant meals. Well, Whole30

Approved is one step above that. When something has the Whole30 Approved

stamp, this means that their menu items were officially reviewed by the Whole30

team and deemed to be acceptable for the program! Cool right?

What to Order:

Salmon Kabob

- Side of Israeli skhug sauce

- Side of fresh fruit

- Side of grilled potato salad

Other Options: You can order anything with the Whole30

Approved emblem next to it. Exciting, I

know! They have all kinds of options, and

they are all scrumptious. Another favorite

of mine is the Mediterranean Chicken. I

order it with the Israeli skhug sauce, and a

side of roasted veggies and grilled potato

salad.

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Honorable Mentions While this list is far from exhaustive, here are a few more restaurants

that you can find Whole30 compliant menu items.

Ruby Jean’s Juicery: Ruby Jean’s is just great! The only reason I did not

include them on the main list is because I have yet to try the menu items of theirs

that are Whole30 compliant. I didn’t want to recommend anything to you all

without having tried it myself first! For breakfast you could order the Green Dream

or Herbed Mushroom Scramble, and just hold the toast. For lunch you could order

the Protein Bowl with sweet potatoes as your carb and chicken, salmon, or ground

turkey as your protein. I can’t wait to go and try all these yummy sounding dishes!

Whole Foods: The Whole Foods salad bar is always an option when searching

for a quick and easy Whole30 compliant meal. Be careful that you read all of the

ingredients listed above each salad bar option. They tend to add sugar to everything

there. The hot case rarely has Whole30 compliant options, but it’s worth a gander if

you have the time! It should be noted that their plain rotisserie chicken does not

have added sugar and is perfect for emergency dinners.

Evolve Paleo Kitchen: Evolve is a great grab and go meal option. They

actually have quite a few Whole30 compliant options, and they will be clearly

labeled as such. The only reason I didn’t include it in the list is because it is not a

sit-down restaurant. Their focus is more geared towards meal delivery services.

They even have a Whole30 meal delivery option that you can sign up for which is

perfect for those of you that prefer not to have to cook.

Freestyle Poké: Raise your hand if you love poké! I know I do. I was very

excited to see that Freestyle Poké has clearly labeled the ingredients that are paleo-

friendly. While paleo does not mean Whole30, there is often times a bit of overlap.

Be sure to ask about any ingredients you are unsure of, particularly the sauces as

paleo allows added sugar and Whole30 does not. Try their zoodles as a base as a

fun Whole30 twist on the traditional poké bowl!

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Pro-Tips & Tricks

❖ Bring your own sauces or dressings

You may have noticed a trend with the salad orders. Hold the dressing,

ask for olive oil & vinegar instead. While that’ll work in a pinch, I’m

sure you have much tastier salad dressings at home. Don’t be afraid to

pack a little bottle of dressing with you. I promise, no one will notice.

❖ Call ahead when you can While I did my best to create this guide based on items that I assume

will remain on the menu, there is no guarantee that this is the case. A

quick phone call or search of their website to ensure that the Whole30

compliant option you’re banking on is still offered is a good strategy.

❖ Be flexible Worst case scenario is you get to the restaurant and for whatever reason

they aren’t offering any of the suggestions I included in this guide.

Breathe. It’s going to be fine! Scan the menu and look for things that

you know will be the easiest to tweak. Often times the salads are going

to be your safest bet. When adding a protein of any kind to a salad, just

be sure to ask (a) what they marinade it in and (b) how it is cooked, what

oil is used.

❖ Enjoy yourself! I know how daunting it can feel to navigate the Whole30 while you’re

out in the wild. Know that this guide is here to help you. Also know

that at the end of the day, most dining out experiences are shared with

friends or loved ones. Focus on enjoying their company rather than

obsessing about what foods you can and cannot eat. Have fun!

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About the Author Christine R. Hofmeister

Christine is a Whole30 Certified

Coach living in Kansas City, MO.

A foodie at heart, she is happiest in

the kitchen cooking up new recipes.

She believes in the healing power

of food and strives to empower

others on their own unique journey

to health. When she’s not in the

kitchen, you can find Christine at

her local farmer’s market or at the

dog park with her two fur babies

and her hubby. Having completed

many Whole30’s herself, she

created this guide as a resource for

fellow Whole30er’s in Kansas City.

Let’s Connect! INSTAGRAM: @christinescleaneats

FACEBOOK: @christinescleaneats

WEBSITE:

www.christinescleaneats.com

EMAIL:

info@christinescleaneats.com

I offer group and individual

Whole30 coaching

throughout the year.

Contact me via my website

for details and pricing.